BEMIDJI -- The Beltrami Area Services Collaborative will remain at the county's Community Services Center.
Located at 616 America Ave. NW, the building is home to Beltrami County Health and Human Services, as well as several other community assistance organizations. The BASC has been at the center since July 2005 with a lease for nearly 1,000 square feet.
The lease is set to expire on June 30 and earlier this year, the BASC expressed interest in staying at the center with an extension of three years. During the Beltrami County Board of Commissioners meeting Tuesday, May 18, the extension was approved through 2024.
The lease agreement was negotiated with input by the County Facility Manager Steve Shadrick and reviewed by County Attorney David Hanson. As part of the extension, the county will paint the main foyer area, conduct a carpet assessment and then repair or replace the carpet as needed.
The lease rate will increase inclemently to reflect inflation adjustments. The monthly payment from July 1 to June 30, 2022, will be $1,119.38. From July 1, 2022, to June 30, 2023, the payment per month will be $1,140.10. From July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024, the monthly payment will be $1,160.83.
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Agenda setting policy
Another move by the board Tuesday was approving a new policy on how items should be added to the agenda. The decision comes after Commissioners Reed Olson and Tim Sumner raised questions and concerns about how the organization Respect Minnesota was placed on the agenda at the May 4 meeting.
The new policy sets the following procedures for County Administrator Thomas Barry, who also serves as the clerk of the board and is responsible for setting the agenda for meetings:
- Barry will have the authority to place items on the board agenda that either directly or indirectly have a nexus to established or proposed county programs, plans, projects, services, policies, budgets, or other county business. Also, if the item relates to the business of county partners, or includes briefings of demographics or other statistical information in relation to the county.
- Requests from an individual commissioner, citizen, citizen's group, business, nonprofit, or organization may work with Barry to include items on an agenda that is related to county business.
- For items that don't fit the criteria, Barry can bring the subject to the board for discussion during the commissioners' time to identify future work meeting topics. If there's a consensus on the topic, it can be added to the agenda. If no consensus is reached, a vote can be held during the board's regular meeting on whether to add the item to the agenda.
The policy goes on to note that anyone may be heard by the commissioners during the citizens addressing the board section of regular meetings.
